


One fell swoop, One false swipe

by Thosesweetninjas



Series: PKMN AU [2]
Category: Naruto
Genre: First Meetings, Gen, Kankuro's goth vibes, PKMN AU, Rasa who? He doesn't exist here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-24
Updated: 2020-06-24
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:53:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24883369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thosesweetninjas/pseuds/Thosesweetninjas
Summary: “You used Krokorok?” Kankuro asks, there’s a gentleness to it. A softness of being in that same situation where Gaara stares down at you as he sweeps your whole pokemon team in one false swipe.PKMN AU~Or Gaara vs. Lee at a different time and different place.
Series: PKMN AU [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1685878
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	One fell swoop, One false swipe

**Author's Note:**

  * For [EgregiousDerp](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EgregiousDerp/gifts).



> I finally wrote something with Gaara and Lee, this is for Skuun who is resposible for quite a few things in this fic. I had a lot of fun writing Kankuro (and Espurr). And Gaara too this time around actually.  
> I don't have much of a timeline with the fics I've written/started writing at the moment but maybe someday.  
> This is also thanks to Cams who is just many sparkle emojis.  
> I wasn't entirely sure how I was writing this but here.

Gaara pulls the scarf tighter against his face. The Go-Go goggles allow him to see to an extent. The harsh sandstorms of the Desert Resort are unforgiving. He holds onto the Hippowdon who’s taking him back across the desert.

It’s his turn to go out for supplies. The bag on his back is full and should last them a good amount of time. Living with nearly 3 full pokemon teams (and Kankuro) was a feat in itself.

The Hippowdon feels like it’s moving as quickly as a Slugma but Gaara knows he’d be easily knocked by the sandstorms raging.

“Excuse me!” a voice echoes through the sandstorm, Gaara almost thinks he’s hearing things until he looks across the desert to see someone in a bright green jumpsuit - very hard to miss in the desert. It could have been a Maractus if not for the Hitmonlee following after it’s trainer.

Gaara blinks a couple times, this may be the weirdest situation he’s been in for a while. Kankuro was usually the cause of those.  
“Are you a trainer? We are looking for a battle!” He shouts through the storm

“Hitmonlee!”

“That’s the spirit Hitmonlee”

Gaara slouches his shoulders for a moment. No one apart from his siblings has agreed to battle him in a while. His fingers twitch.  
He pats Hippowdon so they can stop. He slides down off the ride pokemons saddle.  
Gaara holds up 3 fingers, his voice wouldn’t be loud enough to carry across the sandstorm - unlike his opponents.

His opponent brings in a Farfetch’d first. Gaara responds with Krokorok. Gaara can feel the adrenaline as they battle. Farfetch’d isn’t after by Krokoroks ground type moves but Gaara has Stone edge in reserve. Farfetch’d is quick on both feet and wing even against the storm, they strike forwards hard and fast - a critical hit. 

Gaara blinks as Krokorok roars and a bright red light emanates from Krokoroks position. Krokorok has the anger point ability - which activates it’s attack stat to +6 after a critical hit. 

Gaara almost hesitates to call the next attack but what kind of trainer would he be to take pity on an opponent.  
Ralts is next, a quick barrage of Crunch makes short work of the second round.

His opponent's Hitmonlee is the last pokemon, it takes longer to defeat him but a well timed earthquake after blocking a mega kick takes him dow

* * *

Lee can’t believe it. It’s been so long since he’s lost so spectacularly in a battle. He couldn’t even defeat one of his opponents pokemon. Hitmonlee looks up at him from where Lee is cradling his most trusted pokemon to his body. Desperately trying not to sob his rage and frustration into the sandstorm - at least it’d be swallowed up by the sand.

His opponent looks down upon him. Lee squints behind thick goggles. The sand has died down enough that he can make him out. Red hair under scarves and a hood - similarly large goggles obscuring his eyes. Lee swallows, other than Neji and Tenten the thrill of battling hasn’t been this strong, hasn’t taken his body hostage like this. The feeling of ambition of “maybe this time” or “Let me try again” curling in his gut - it feels like a Torchic has used Ember, a little flame that has the potential to grow. It burns.

Lee promptly forgets the swirling feeling when his opponent extends a gloved hand. He takes it, and pulls Hitmonlee up with him.

Gaara doesn’t really react to him that much, he gets back on Hippowdon and pats the space behind him and he extends a hand out again to pull Lee up.

It feels like it’s been an age by the time they get to Gaara’s house. The sandstorm has died out now they’re outside the main part of the desert.

Lee isn’t entirely sure what to make of it, his opponent holds the door open with an inclination of his head.

“Gaara?” A voice calls from inside once Gaara closes the door behind the guy with the Hitmonlee.

“I’m back”

“And you brought someone with you?” Kankuro asks

“Oh, ah yes! My name is Rock Lee! This is Hitmonlee, my most trusted pokemon.”

Kankuro tugs on Gaara’s sleeve and whispers “Gaara I know you just bought Espurr home with you one day but that’s a whole ass human. Temari will be pissed”  
“We battled out in the desert,” Gaara says, his voice careful.

“Oh” Kankuro turns to Lee “Gaara, you’re not gonna introduce me?” Gaara Hums in response “I’m Kankuro, we’re siblings. Who won?”

“I was thoroughly defeated! Hitmonlee, we need to train to be better” Lee manages not to betray the burning feeling in his stomach, he turns to Hitmonlee and they clasp hands in solidarity. “Gai-sensei always says ‘Trust your own resolve. It has taken you this far and it will take you even farther’ We have to try again Hitmonlee”

“Hitmonlee!”

“You used Krokorok?” Kankuro asks, there’s a gentleness to it. A softness of being in that same situation where Gaara stares down at you as he sweeps your whole pokemon team in one false swipe.

Gaara nods and releases his other pokemon - Darumaka, Krokorok, Munna, Espurr, Helioptile and Serperior. He looks to Kankuro before leaving for the kitchen. His pokemon follow him, apart from Espurr who stands in the middle of the room, looking up wide eyed at Lee

“Espurr” she extends a paw to Lee.

“Espurr, your enthusiasm is endearing! Your eyes are ablaze with youth!” Lee practically goes starry eyed - as if Swift was used on him. Lee holds Espurrs tiny paws in his hands. Espurr tilts her head at him and seems to be in awe.

“Am I hallucinating, is this a mirage. I hope it’s a mirage. Gaara what the fuck” Kankuro face palms, he is wearing an all black all-in-one reminiscent of Banette, dehydration wouldn’t be all that farfetch’d. “Have I succumbed to dehydration, the desert just doesn’t get my goth vibes”  
Espurr lets go of Lee’s hands and waddles over to Kankuro

“Gross, Gaara do something”  
“She loves you so earnestly” Lee sobs with huge tears, reminiscent of Flail. “I can only hope to cultivate a relationship with a pokemon with such close understanding”

“Hitmon… Lee!!” Hitmonlee also cries with Lee in a bizarrely similar manner - although Flail is not in it’s moveset. Hitmonlee gathers Lee in his arms, they sob together.

“Lee if you cry you’ll lose more fluids” Gaara says as he returns from the kitchen.

“Oh yes! Of course that is so important in the dessert! Part of why I got lost in the first place”

“Dear Reshiram and Zekrom , what is this? Has Volcarona finally come for me for my desert goth aesthetic?” Kankuro murmurs to himself

Gaara scoops Darumaka up and holds him out to Kankuro ”Daru! Daru Daru! Maka!”

“Maybe if you held Darumaka you wouldn’t be so stressed”

“I’m not on babysitting duty!” Kankuro shouts with an arm full of Darumaka nonetheless.

“Lee, would you like some revives? We also have revival herbs… I make them myself”

“You make them yourself? Hitmonlee should we try them?”

“Hitmonlee!”

  
Gaara guides Lee through the kitchen to the greenhouse.

Kankuro sighs but sits down with Darumaka without much more complaint. Darumaka being the only fire type in the house with a bouncy personality makes supervision essential. Kankuro is careful not to jostle Shedinja who has made the hood of his clothing it’s favourite nap spot.

* * *

The green house is huge and extends upstairs via a winding iron staircase. There’s raised beds everywhere and a small hill with saplings pushing through the soft earth.

Lee can’t help but try to look everywhere. There’s colour everywhere and so much green for somewhere in the desert. He tries not to stray from the path but Gaara is surprisingly quick on his feet.

Gaara stops and Lee nearly bumps into him, He holds his arm out and a Serperior snakes up from the table and curls around Gaara. Practically camouflaged but now against Gaara the contrast is even more.

Serperior curled around most of Gaara’s body, head resting over his shoulder. Serperior stares at Lee flicking its tongue out every so often as Gaara looks through some drawers.

“This is yours?” Lee asks tentatively gesturing to the greenhouse

“Now it is. It’s been passed down to me.”

“Oh. It must be very important to you”

“You could say that.”

“Have you been making pokemon medicine for a long time?”

At this Gaara pauses. He drags his fingers across the wooden table - multiple dents and scorch marks mar the surface. Serperior flicks its tongue out again and moves backwards to use it’s height to leer down at Lee, much like Gaara had done.

Gaara pats Serperior and glances at Lee for a moment. “When I was younger, I was… ruthless. I’d win battle after battle but it was never satisfying - just something I was good at. My siblings got the worst of it. I learnt how to make pokemon medicine to try and make that better. A boy with a Pikachu knocked some sense into me. Thankfully.”

“Oh! Well we will be more than happy to try some, since you have worked so hard”

“Hitmonlee!”

“It’s exceedingly bitter… most pokemon don’t like them. It’s an acquired taste but quite simple to make.”

“We will still try it!”

“We?” Gaara asks with a head tilt, Serperior blinks at him.

“Anything good enough for my pokemon will be good enough for me” Lee says with determination

“It should be okay for human consumption” Gaara holds out the revival herbs for Lee to take.

“Ralts, Farfetch’d'' Lee releases his pokemon. Ralts looks around an eye visible between the bowl cut, Farfetch’d settles down and tucks it’s wings tighter into its body - leek safely under a wing.

“Would you two like to try a revival herb? Gaara made them” Lee kneels down next to Ralts. Farfetch’d looks the other way but sneaks a glance when Lee says “Looks like it is just you and me Hitmonlee”

Lee and Hitmonlee high five and then takes it. The bitter taste is apparent by their faces.

“Like a shroomish” Gaara stifles a laugh but it must come across as a weird smile. Although Lee doesn’t see it because of his scrunched up face.

“Gah” Lee exclaims, Hitmonlee punches the air “Invigorating right Hitmonlee?” Ralts had cosied up to Farfetch’d during this debacle.

“I have some revives or super potion if you’d like that” Gaara inclines his head to Lee’s other pokemon.

“Far” Farfetch’d turns his head

“Ralts are so small, you’re the first one I met” Gaara remarks.

Gaara decides to give the potions to Lee instead. Serperior slinks down from his arm to bask in a sun spot. Gaara looks at the greenhouse before closing the door connecting it to the kitchen.  
Lee kneels down trying to encourage Ralts to go through the kitchen.

* * *

“Gaara! Gaara it’s on me get it off”

Gaara peers round the door frame, Munna floats down from a cupboard and lands happily perched on his head.

Kankuro is standing stock still, as if he’s afraid to move an inch. Espurr is holding onto his trousers with her tiny little paws  
“What _can_ I do about that?” Kankuro makes a face at him “What do you _want_ me to do about that?”

“Do something - It’s your pokemon”

“Espurr has feelings” Gaara tilts his head at his pokemon, Espurr tilts back “Even though I don’t understand them” Gaara returns to the kitchen

“Gaara! Don’t leave me, I’m your brother”

“Espurr” Espurr says, quiet as a whisper but the stare is unsettling.

Kankuro squeezes his eyes shut and drops his hand down to pet Espurr, feeling around in the air until his hand comes into contact with Espurrs surprisingly soft fur. Kankuro’s eyes shoot open when he hears some snickering from behind him.

“You! Banette if you were here all this time you could’ve helped me”

Banette grins wide from its place clasped to Kankuro's shoulders in the form of a second shadow.

“Banette” Banette lets go and floats up to the ceiling and passes through it.

“This is why Temari left you guys, this is why we can’t have nice things”

“Temari is in Kanto for a week, Kankuro. She should enjoy it.”

“Espurr” Espurr let’s go of Kankuro’s leg and runs towards Gaara for food.  
Kankuro breathes a sigh of relief and relaxes, he puts his hands in his pockets and slouches. “Oh”

Gaara continues to put down the pokemon food.

“I uh, I’ve been keeping pokemon treats in my pocket for Banette. I think that’s why your little gremlin has been staring at me"  
Gaara looks up at him, shakes his head and goes back to the pokemon food and trying to pry Munna off his head.

* * *

It’s after dinner Lee asks about shedinja.

“Someone gave you that pokemon? You must be very close! To be traded a pokemon is a very high honour”

“It didn’t really happen that way it was an accident”

“Oh! You must be reunited with your traded pokemon then! Do you need help finding them?”

“Do you know how Nincada evolves?” Lee shakes his head “Nincada evolves and if there’s a spare pokeball then You’ll have Ninjask in Nincadas place but you can also get a Shedinja - it’s like it’s ghost”

“Oh! That is two for the price of one!” Shedinja returns to its perch I.e. Kankuro’s head, it buzzes happily it’s wings fluttering.

“It was uh accidental, the guy was pretty pissed” Kankuro lifts a finger to nudge Shedninja “Bug pokemon can be tricky”

“Oh is that who you speak to late at night?” Gaara asks whilst cutting a Nanab berry, Lee covers his mouth with his hand “Such dedication to pokemon” Hitmonlee pats his head.

“There’s a time difference! Gaara!”

“It was a genuine question”

Kankuro reaches for a Pecha berry himself and pouts. 

“Lee you should stay over”

“What? Oh no I could not impose like that”

Kankuro raises his eyebrows but says “It’s no trouble”

“Your pokemon must be tired” Gaara says with a thoughtful look, his inhumanly bright eyes piercing.

“As long as you are sure” Gaara’s lips quirk up at the corners, he passes Lee an Oran berry.

* * *

It’s sometime during the night Lee wakes up. Farfetch’d is sleeping on his chest and Ralts is between him and the cushions of the couch. Hitmonlee sleeps across Lee’s legs nearly spilling onto the floor. Lee has to stifle a laugh as he tries to sit up, farfetch’d is surprisingly heavy.  
He’s about to turn over and go back to sleep but there’s a light coming from the kitchen. He bits his lip and considers sleeping or finding out why the light was on. He settles for the latter.

He tries not to jostle his pokemon too much, his steps are quiet as he walks to the kitchen. He peers around it, the fact that he may be intruding very present in his mind. 

It wasn’t the kitchen that the light came from but the door to the greenhouse is open. Lee takes a breath and looks around the door, it’s like he saw it earlier. Gaara is there with Munna and Helioptile.

“Ah!- uhm” Lee starts but then whispers “Gaara” and waves. 

Gaara turns his head from the small hill with the saplings, fingers deep in the soil. Munna floats happily in the air and Helioptile snoozes on the hill.

“Lee” Gaara says, his very faint eyebrows lift.

“I saw the light… You could not sleep?” Lee approaches where Gaara is standing

“I don’t sleep much, I come here when I can’t”

“It is very nice to be surrounded by such greenery”

Gaara hums, turning back to patting down the soil “What do you know about Venusaurs?”

Lee blinks, rather like a Hoothoot. “Venusaurs? Well not much, they’re given to young pokemon trainers aren’t they? My sensei gave myself and my friends Tyrogue as our starters”

Gaara smiles “I had Munna… My mother had a Venusaur, they can regrow. Continue the cycle themselves, they’re very close to plants”

“I am afraid I am not entirely sure what you mean”

“Some Venusaurs choose to grow, they… hibernate in a way and Bulbasaurs grow from their saplings. Usually after the summer, they grow back in spring.”  
“Oh, so that is”

“My mothers Venusaur yes, we’re not sure when it’ll happen”

“Raising pokemon from their first stages is a great experience” Lee practically sparkles

“It is” Munna floats down to bump against Lee

* * *

“We will have to battle again Gaara! I will undoubtedly become stronger by the next time we meet” Lee exclaims, dragging his huge backpack onto his shoulders.

Gaara waves from the door, Kankuro is lounging on the couch lazily

It’s only 5 minutes before there’s a knock at the door, a proper 3 taps.

Gaara answers it and half smiles at Lee “You got stronger?” he says with an almost smile.

“No- Yes- I mean… Do you have a Pokegear? I fear that I might not be able to find you in the desert again”

“I do.” Lee keys Gaara’s number in

“Thank you, see you soon!”

“Bye, Lee” Lee and Hitmonlee wave to him, huge and enthusiastic before climbing back up on the Hippowdon.  
Kankuro peers over the couch arm rest, like a Glameow who got the cream

“Gaara did he just ask for your number?”

“Kankuro-”

“Oh~ watch when he asks you out, he must be your type with the amount of green he was wearing” Kankuro laughs and moves to put his feet up but stops when Espurr peers at him from across the room.

“Gaara, that thing is looking at me, I swear I don’t have treats”

“She likes you”

“She bared her teeth at me”

“Espurrs don’t have teeth, Kankuro”

Kankuro stops mid thought “They don’t…?” He gulps and gets up “I just remembered I need to be upstairs”  
Espurr waddles after him but can’t scale the stairs “Espurr-”

“You couldn’t just let me tease you for once? That’s so boring Gaara” Kankuro shouts from the top of them

“What else did you expect?”

**Author's Note:**

> My Tumblr is: Thosesweetninjas if you want to talk about pkmn or this AU specifically I'm always game ^w^  
> I have 4 more pkmn AU fics half written so #soon (Hopefully)


End file.
